The TARDIS Book: THE TIME IS NOW (Part 10)
by annabel.lee220
Summary: Book Four: TO KILL THE KING. Enjoy the cheesiness. Crossover AU.
1. Chapter 13: Gumball Prince Has Popped

The TARDIS Book: THE TIME IS NOW (Part 10)

Book Four: TO KILL THE KING

Chapter 13: The Gumball Prince Has Popped

* * *

The Heel dismissed his historian. Alone with Peppermint Butler, an ancient soothsayer and his most trusted consult, he discussed plans. He could barely contain his excitement. The historian tracked down the mysterious pink woman. According to an Intergalactic Dayliiz article, an alien who may or may not have been Martian was found on Olympus Mons, babbling about a pink woman in a flying pink box. A couple had found him on their hiking trail. He told them that he had just been poisoned. They took him to the Alucionatio Asylum. One doctor says he was "a passive, tortured soul who refused to do anything else but paint." He spent the rest of his days painting the image of the "screaming pink lady" that haunted him since the incident. Tests show that he had suffered severe brain damage in a short amount of time. The mountain where he was found had recently been discovered to be an inactive volcano. A month ago, its dormancy ended and it erupted. It killed 500 patients, the alien included. Surprisingly enough, a few fragments of his paintings surfaced. They remained fairly intact, despite the major surrounding damage.

His historian had been sent an untraceable message with the numbers "00-51-50" and the article regarding the incident attached to it. He had his team dig up the paintings' fragments, and brought them back for analyzing. The genealogist and Peppermint confirmed his suspicions. The coloring of the pink woman was almost identical to his own complexion. Although the face was unfamiliar, the expression in her eyes matched his father's during the time of the Lich War. Filled with rolling black waves of hate and indescribable shame. He could see the same shade of black in Peppermint's eyes. It made him almost shiver to think of how his most trusted consult could be so creepy-looking.

* * *

"I think the last power needs to be unleashed," the prince announced.

Peppermint, already knowing the answer but making sure to convey worry instead of excitement, asked, "Are you sure, your majesty?"

"I am prepared for the consequences," the Heel replied, foolishly assuming he knew how dangerous it was to tamper with such a powerful entity. "I want you to take me to the archives, where the Enchiridion is encased."

Peppermint Butler walked up to the case and presented the Enchiridion to the prince. Peppermint could see how hungry he was, how he yearned for the ultimate revenge. Peppermint knew that this could very well be the death of the Candy Kingdom. But the Gumball prince did not care. Peppermint took refuge in the fact that if worse came to worse, he would have a place in the Lich King's army... he knew he could earn the Lich's trust, just as he had earned the prince's. The Heel was a child with too much power. The Lich was once just a shade of evil. The Heel's inferiority complex would be great preparation for the Lich's unrelenting hunger for power.

"Bring forth the archive key to the Enchiridion." At his command, Peppermint entered the combination provided by the historian's mysterious messenger. The safe unlocked and the case opened, and caused the glorious smell of old world books to fill his re-swirled nostrils.

"Bring forth the Enchiridion unto my awesomely royal hands!" The Gumball prince commanded as he wiggled his pink, fleshy fingers. Peppermint gingerly lifted the thick, dusty manual, and carefully walked to his highness.

The prince took the book into his hands, licking his gummy index finger ever so lightly.

"Which chapter do I start at?"

"I'm not sure, your majesty. Perhaps the Lich War...when the Creator trapped the Lich,"

"Right, the part of the story where the queen trapped the Lich... I absolutely had that in mind, yes..." he bumbled.

* * *

The prince moved his lips as he skim-read each word. Once in a while he needed Peppermint to translate or explain the meaning of certain words. The Heel had never really been forced to read much as a child. Every activity past the age of eight was chosen by the motive of leisure, not obligation. While his half-sisters were busy reading, drawing and playing music, he was off doing perfectly typical activities like horseback-riding or kicking candy corn rats in the sewers of waste located in the lower east quadrant of the castle.

After he finished skim-reading, they headed to the deepest chamber of the castle, into the tower of the south quadrant. They descended down the long flight of stairs that spiraled towards the dungeon that held the Lich King's trap. One that the Bubblegum queen had created with her turquoise jewel. Gumball's heart started to race as he felt his self-preservation kick in. He felt like he should be running away, but he knew he had to suppress his fear in order to execute the most crucial part of his plan.

"Go ahead, your majesty," the candy-striped butler prompted after he pressed his hand onto the archaic lockdown-scanner. Could Peppermint tell that Gumball had no clue as to what to do next? Should he just touch the thing and run as fast as he can? Should he throw something sharp at it?

"Proceed to recite the Reverso spell I wrote for you," said the butler, once again making the prince feel like a child.

"Oh right, of course..." The prince cleared his throat and looked down at the adhesive note that Peppermint had applied to the page of the Enchiridion titled, "What Not to Do When Confronting an Inherently Evil Entity". He began to read the adhesive note that had been placed on top of the word, "ANYTHING."

He took a moment to bask in his achievements. He had finally done what he had set out to do. He had control over the Candy Kingdom. He had finally earned the respect and trust of the Candy people. He had the power to punish the Princess. For all the admiration and worship she received as a child. All the undeserved attention. They gave her EVERYTHING. And it still wasn't enough. So what did she do when they needed her most? She ran away, leaving him trapped on what almost became a forsaken planet. He knew in his gut that she survived. And the proof was in that anonymous tip. He knew this would be the exact catalyst that would provoke his sister into coming out of hiding. Once she came back in that ridiculous pink wardrobe, he could arrest her for being cowardly and betraying her kingdom. He could finally shame her and destroy her reputation.

"Don't worry about the language. It's written in Dead Lang, but it is easily sounded out," the butler explained. "Just get right into it, your majesty."

He grinned and he began to recite the spell. "Bulla tuorum gemmam effringo... Malum inmundum reverso... Ego ossa Magi rex excito... Accipe corpus meum ut possideas!"

At that moment, a deafening pop occurred, bringing the gumball prince to a level of fear that he hadn't felt since he was a child, when he first faced the Lich. At that moment he realized that he had released everything that was dangerous back unto his kingdom. This time he wasn't outside of the danger, hiding behind the Creator's turquoise crown. He was inside of the danger. Perhaps in the eye of the storm, if he were the eye and his body was the storm. Whatever the appropriate analogy for that would be, he was not in the position he had intended to be in or desired.

His father's cruel words had come true. The prince was the biggest weakness in the royal family. Now he understood why his first name was Achilles and his given title was "the Heel". He had been taken down by his own weakness: his pride.

His vision went black for a moment. He could no longer speak, had no control over his body. Then his vision cleared. He had seen everything he was seeing before, but he felt his soul and being was separated from his vessel. His mouth was moving but he was not the one moving it. It was the Lich. The fear that Achilles felt was now unspeakably horrifying, and had surpassed the level of terror that came with his first encounter with the Lich. Not only had he unleashed the Lich King unto his kingdom, but he had handed all of it over to him. What he thought was an opportunity to shame his sister has turned out to be an irrevocable mistake that would cost him all of the progress he had made. He had dethroned himself.


	2. Author's Note

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